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A unique proposal: Second place trail winner earns even bigger prize with engagement following Hyner race

HYNER -- The Hyner Challenge undertook its 18th version this past weekend, marking the nearly two decades that runners, hikers and walkers have tested their physical and mental toughness against all sides of Hyner View Mountain.

Still, no participant can say that they have had the experience that 28 year-old Alicia Cutter, of Hampton, Mass., had on April 20, 2024.

Alicia took on her first Hyner Challenge just a few years after switching to trail running, coming from road running and track in high school before that. The first timer blazed through the course in two hours and 56 minutes, claiming second place in the overall woman's division.

The day was far from over when it came to memories.

After going back to their hotel and getting dressed for dinner, the whole Cutter family wanted to return to Hyner View to take some family pictures. With them was Alicia's boyfriend Pat, who had done his own recon on Hyner and unbeknownst to her, her family, was in on it.

After others in the group had posed in front of the picturesque view, it was now Alicia and Pat's turn. With her family in on and approving of the secret, Pat took a knee and proposed, of which the surprised now fiance tearfully said yes.

There were extra tears from everyone in the group, as there was yet another underlying element to the perfect day.

The whole reason that Alicia had made the trek from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania was to return to her grandmother, Gloria Winkelman's, hometown of Renovo, and to run the event in memory of her "Gramma," who had passed away last year.

Alicia had been making trips to Renovo all her life, as they would come home to visit her grandmother. Alicia is the daughter of Deb (Mulcahy) and Chris Cutter. Deb is the daughter of Gloria and has Renovo roots herself.

In the final trip that Alicia made last year to visit her gravely ill grandmother, she ran a small section of Hyner, just to try and clear her head. Later, she and Pat went to Hyner View, again, as a way of coping with saying goodbye to her Gram.

Both of those events helped to shape this past weekend.

During that run Alicia had begun to think about returning to Renovo often, running the Hyner Challenge in memory of Gloria -- also Alicia's middle name. Months later, as Pat had decided to ask his girlfriend to become his wife, he too fondly remembered the trip up Hyner View, and thought to himself -- what better place could there be to propose?

The family arrived at Hyner last Saturday for the start of the trail race, Alicia with blue ribbons in her hair, her Gram's favorite color. As Alicia sprinted amongst the front with the other elite runners, Pat was the bridge with her parents, Deb and Chris. There is a good chance that the over 1,600 participants recall hearing a man with a Boston accent shouting words of encouragement as they ran past, that would have been Alicia's Dad, Chris, who has also completed the Hyner Challenge in previous years.

Pat said that he admires his now-fiance's talent for running. He hasn't ruled out any future runs in Hyner himself but said that he's not in the same league as Alicia.

Alicia had come down with an illness requiring her to visit a doctor just days before the trail run. Fortunately for the family, as well as now lore of the Hyner Challenge, the trip proved successful in more ways than she could have possibly imagined.

"I feel like I peaked in life, this was the best weekend ever, what could possibly top this," said Alicia, who works as an investigator for the Massachusetts Alcoholic and Beverage Control Commission. Pat works for the East Bridgewater Police Department.

A 2025 wedding is being planned, as is a return to the Hyner Challenge for a young woman who suddenly found a home away from home on that mountain.